 GREG
HACKNEY ON BASSING
Bet on Creature Baits
EDITOR’S NOTE: Winning $65,000 and the title
that went with it, Angler-of-the-Year on the Forest
L. Woods (FLW) tour, prove that Greg Hackney knows how
to catch bass. One of the newest members of the Strike
King Pro Staff, Hackney from Gonzalez, Louisiana, has
been fishing professional tournament circuits for 5
years. However, he’s been competing in bass-fishing
tournaments since he was only 11-years old. Hackney
is the number-two pro in the nation according to www.bassfan.com.
This week he’ll tell us how to catch bass during
March.
QUESTION: What other technique have you found to be
highly-effective this month?
 HACKNEY:
March is the month I fish creature baits. I like the
Strike King’s Tube Lizard, the Wild Thang and
the Zero as creature baits. I don’t think they
look like anything that a bass eats.
QUESTION: How do you fish the Lizard and the Wild Thang?
HACKNEY: I fish them basically in the same way and
in the same places I fish the tube. If I see a big bass
on the bed, I usually prefer the Wild Thang to the tube
because it’s more-bulky, and the bass thinks he’ll
get a bigger meal if he eats this bait. I don’t
know what the bass thinks of the Wild Thang. I’ve
learned that big bass will attack big baits quicker
and more-aggressively than they will small baits.
QUESTION: How and when are you moving the bait?
HACKNEY: I’ve learned that the dirtier the water,
the more I move the bait. I’m a crawler, not a
hopper or a jumper. By that, I mean I drag the bait
across the bottom as if it’s crawling rather than
hopping or jumping.
 QUESTION:
You also said you fish the Zero at this time of the
year. How and where are you fishing it?
HACKNEY: I fish the Zero primarily on a No. 4/0 hook.
On the other hand, if I want the bait to fall a bit
faster, I put it on a No. 5/0 hook. I only fish the
Zero on fluorocarbon line, which is 14- to 20-pound-test
line. I cast the Zero out to the spot that I think the
bass are holding. I let the bait fall and just lay on
the bottom. I think at this time of year the bass may
be guarding fry or sitting on the nest. I’ve learned
that when you’re fishing Strike King’s Zero
the bass are usually going to bite the bait when it’s
falling, or they’ll pick it up off the bottom
as soon as it falls. I may reel the Zero in and cast
it a second time to a spot where I think the bass are
holding. I’ve learned over the years that if the
bass really wants the bait, he’s usually going
to take it before it gets to the bottom, or as soon
as it reaches the bottom on that first drop. Once again,
I don’t know why they bite this way. I can just
tell you what my experience has been with fishing the
Zero.
QUESTION: Most anglers don’t like to dead-stick
baits. They feel if they’re not moving, twitching
or shaking baits, the bass won’t bite. How did
you learn to leave the bait lying perfectly still on
the bottom for so long?
 HACKNEY:
I’ve learned this technique from fishing a lot
and watching how bass react to a bait. I’m kind
of self-taught in this technique because at home I may
spend all day long fishing for one or two bass. When
you spend that much time trying to catch an individual
bass, you learn an awful lot about the fish and how
they react to a lure. Although I’ve read about
sight-fishing and dead-sticking bait in magazines, I
don’t know and haven’t fished with any other
anglers who use this technique. However I tried it and
became self-taught. As I’ve said before, every
bass is different. Sometimes, when you leave bait lying
still on the bottom, some bass will eat the bait, and
other bass won’t. I’ve seen a lot of bass
eat bait like the Zero that’s been lying on the
bottom for more than 1 minute.
TOMORROW: WHEN MINUS IS A PLUS
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